Today's data 2011-01-19

Stocks were mostly below the flat line at midday after banks reported mixed results in their quarterly and year-end reports, while housing data was worse than expected.

December housing starts in the United States decreased by 4.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000, falling from November's downwardly revised reading of 553,000. The 9.0% decline in single-family home construction led the decrease, and economists had expected the overall housing starts rate to be 554,000. New-home construction is 8.2% lower than it was the same time last year. However, building permits, which are indicators of future construction, jumped by 16.7% in December.

(data is bad, market is dropping. if today, sp drop more than 1%, then we need check if trend is turned. difficult to say nothing!)

 Goldman Sachs Group GS reported a 52% decline in fourth-quarter profit after posting decreases in investment banking and trading and securities services revenues. Trading in fixed-income commodities and currencies also dropped 48% year over year. Additionally, full-year net revenues decreased by 13%. The firm, however, reported a gain in its investment management business compared with the fourth quarter of last year. Goldman's shares were down by 2.6% at midday.

 Wells Fargo WFC earned $0.61 per share in the fourth quarter and $2.21 for 2010, showing the strength of its underwriting and core banking business. The bank saw improvements in nonperforming assets and charge-offs during the quarter, allowing it to release $1.5 billion of reserves in the fourth quarter--a trend Morningstar analysts think will continue throughout 2011. That said, charge- offs are still double the bank's long-term historical average. At midday, shares were 1.5% lower. 

(Everything give me more excuss to buy more finance. c, jpm, bac will be my this year stars. 

let's see It's correct or not. )